Aberrant or misregulated immune responses are underlying mechanisms of numerous pathological conditions. Such conditions include autoimmune disorders and conditions characterized by chronic inflammation.
Autoimmunity is a condition where the immune system mistakenly recognizes host tissue or cells as foreign. Autoimmune diseases affect millions of individuals worldwide. Common autoimmune disorders include type 1 diabetes mellitus, Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis.
Chronic inflammation has been implicated in cancer, diabetes, depression, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer's Disease, periodontitis, and many other pathologies. Aberrant or misregulated immune responses are also implicated in asthma and allergy, e.g., asthma is a prevalent disease with many allergen triggers.